A recent analysis of the National Center for Health Statistics estimated that 4.3 million non-institutionalized people in the United States had difficulty reading the newspaper with their corrected vision--a functional definition of perceived limitations termed "Severe Visual Impairment" (Nelson and Dimitrova, JVIP, March, 1993). An additional 2.3 million people also reported difficulty with seeing medium to far distances. Another recent study (Chiang, et. al, Milbank Quarterly, 1992) estimates 1.1 million people are legally blind under the definition of tested acuity (&lt;20/200). Many other disabilities prevent persons from reading print. In addition to people who are blind or have low vision and may not be able to see the print, there are many stroke, head-injured, autistic and dyslexic (or even just educationally impaired) persons who may not be able to assimilate printed language even though they can see the page. Many people can accept this information through speech.
In recent years an information and wayfinding system has been developed for assisting blind, low-visioned and otherwise print-handicapped individuals. The system, marketed under the trademark Talking Signs, consists of infrared transmitters and receivers. Transmitters are placed on key signs in the environment which continually transmit the message of the sign. The receiver is carried by the person who activates it when direction or information is desired.
A widely-used, highly popular method of conducting banking transactions involves use of automatic teller machines, commonly referred to as ATMs. Unfortunately, heretofore ATMs have had extremely limited accessibility for sight-impaired persons and print-disabled persons. Even if an ATM were to be provided with tactile displays, such as instructions in braille, the individual would have to be at the location of the ATM before the person could identify the information it bears. Moreover, the person would have to search for the location of such displays and the location of the relevant customer interacting means of the ATM, such as the bank card reader, the banking record dispenser, the cash dispenser, and slot or other mechanism for receiving bank deposits. And in addition, even after making use of the ATM the person would have to make the assumption that the desired banking functions were in fact accomplished. No positive on-the-spot reassuring feedback is available to the sight-impaired person or the print-disabled person.
A need thus exists for an effective way by which an ATM can be rendered accessible and user-friendly to sight-impaired persons and to print-disabled persons, without in any way diminishing the utility of the ATM for persons who are not sight-impaired or print-disabled. In fulfilling this need, it is also highly important not to interfere with the operation of the ATM, or necessitate major or costly modification of the ATM apparatus. This invention is deemed to fulfill this need and to satisfy these requirements in a highly effective and efficient manner.